diff --git a/plugin/tests/e2e/test_meshtasticator_e2e.py b/plugin/tests/e2e/test_meshtasticator_e2e.py
index 5476e48..5d19278 100644
--- a/plugin/tests/e2e/test_meshtasticator_e2e.py
+++ b/plugin/tests/e2e/test_meshtasticator_e2e.py
@@ -226,10 +226,11 @@ def test_adapter_receives_broadcast_from_peer(node0):
             return any(getattr(e, "text", None) == sent for e in node0.received_events)
 
         # Radio delivery is not guaranteed per attempt; retry a few times.
+        # (meshtastic client >=2.8: sendText lives on the Interface, not Node.)
         for _ in range(3):
             if _got():
                 break
-            peer.localNode.sendText(
+            peer.sendText(
                 text=sent, destinationId="^all", channelIndex=E2E_CHANNEL_INDEX
             )
             time.sleep(1)
@@ -271,6 +272,25 @@ def test_adapter_chunked_send_reaches_peer(node0, loop):
             return any(str(r).rstrip().endswith("word59") for r in received)
 
         _wait_for(_all_chunks_arrived, timeout_s=45, what="chunked outbound send at peer")
+
+    except Exception as exc:
+        # Fast-fail diagnostics: what arrived at the peer, and what the
+        # simulator itself logged (RF forwarding/routing noise).
+        tail = ""
+        try:
+            sim_log = os.path.join(os.getcwd(), "..", "..", "meshtasticator-sim.log")
+            if not os.path.exists(sim_log):
+                sim_log = os.path.join(os.getcwd(), "meshtasticator-sim.log")
+            if os.path.exists(sim_log):
+                tail = "\n".join(
+                    open(sim_log, errors="replace").read().splitlines()[-40:]
+                )
+        except OSError:
+            pass
+        raise AssertionError(
+            f"{exc}\nreceived at peer so far: {received[-10:]!r}\n"
+            f"--- meshtasticator-sim.log tail ---\n{tail}"
+        ) from exc
     finally:
         pub.unsubscribe(_on_receive, "meshtastic.receive.text")
         peer.close()
diff --git a/scripts/meshtasticator_e2e/run_e2e.sh b/scripts/meshtasticator_e2e/run_e2e.sh
index 3a527dc..e3f5da4 100755
--- a/scripts/meshtasticator_e2e/run_e2e.sh
+++ b/scripts/meshtasticator_e2e/run_e2e.sh
@@ -93,7 +93,7 @@ start_forwards() {
 }
 
 SIM_LOG="$REPO_ROOT/meshtasticator-sim.log"
-SIM_ARGS=("$NODES")
+SIM_ARGS=("$NODES" -v)   # -v: meshtastic/debug logging for RF diagnostics
 if [ "$MODE" = native ]; then
   [ -n "$PROGRAM" ] && [ -d "$PROGRAM" ] || { echo "--mode native needs --program <dir>" >&2; exit 2; }
   SIM_ARGS+=(-p "$PROGRAM")
@@ -222,3 +222,14 @@ echo "== running radio-level e2e tests =="
   E2E_CHANNEL_INDEX="$CHANNEL_INDEX" \
     "$VENV/bin/python" -m pytest plugin/tests/e2e -q "$@"
 )
+RC=$?
+
+if [ $RC -ne 0 ] && [ "$MODE" = docker ]; then
+  # Capture per-node meshtasticd logs before cleanup removes the container.
+  echo "== dumping node logs (pytest rc=$RC) =="
+  docker exec Meshtastic sh -c 'for f in /home/out_*.log; do echo "----- $f -----"; tail -n 60 "$f" 2>/dev/null; done' \
+    >"$REPO_ROOT/meshtasticator-nodes.log" 2>&1 || true
+  echo "   node logs: $REPO_ROOT/meshtasticator-nodes.log"
+fi
+
+exit $RC